Wednesday, January 7, 2015

CRM for Microsoft environment

Microsoft normally has two aspects for a company:

  • As an environment integrated to other environments
  • As an own ecosystem 


As an environment integrated to other environments, Microsoft is an OS Microsoft who cohabits with other exploitation systems such as Mac or Linux. It’s the case of computer fleets working with Windows but with non-Microsoft software, as Open Office or Thunderbird for emails.

As an own ecosystem, Microsoft is using only Microsoft products: OS Windows, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Email Microsoft Exchange etc.

When you have to decide on which CRM software to choose for your company, first of all you have to determine Microsoft’s position in your business and to estimate Window’s position and other software’s role in you business for the next 5 or 10 years.

CRM is a software tool that will organize your business and therefore it has to be completely integrated to your actual and future IT solutions.

First best practice to take a cloud based CRM, therefore however your computer fleet will evolve you CRM will be compatible. All you need for a cloud CRM is a web browser and it works.

Then analyze in details the implications of some functions that CRMs propose. Some Microsoft oriented CRMs  are proposing to manage your emails thru their web-mail or an add-on on Outlook. For both cases it’s a mistake.

Imposed webmail will never be as efficient as email software already used by you collaborators.

Changing habitudes can be revealed as a strait way to disaster.

Plugins aren’t better either, because most of them are Java coded and it can interfere a lot of compatibility issues and even worst security ones. If you have a Microsoft Active Directory the problems with appear from the very installation: so lots of time and many to spare.

Despite all those complicate solutions it’s advisable to choose a more open and efficient one, such as Simple CRM’s: every user has a Simple CRM email address. In order to have an important document or email etc in your CRM all you have to do it’s to send an email with the concerned information at your Simple CRM email address and it’s done!

This system created by Simple CRM is Outlook, Thunderbird, Gmail or any other mail software from mobile phones or PC tablets compatible.

Simple CRM it’s also compatible with all other devices used in companies: fixed phone posts, mobile phones, Skype, VOIP or network scanners etc.

Simple CRM can easily communicate with Microsoft Dynamics ERP or others.

Not all cloud CRM can do that, Simple CRM CAN!

It’s up to you to analyze and to choose which CRM better suits to your business needs according to your budget and to your expected evolution.